


the white rabbit

by spacebutterfly



Category: Inazuma Eleven GO, Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 09:37:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3244835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebutterfly/pseuds/spacebutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not long after their match with Mach Tiger, Shinsei Inazuma Japan are given some time off. Minaho spends his with someone different than usual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the white rabbit

Minaho stops outside the entrance to the soccer complex and sighs. It looks like he'll be spending his day of free time wandering around the city by himself again. Not that he doesn't usually enjoy that kind of thing - he knows the area like the back of his hand by now, after all, but it's getting harder and harder to spy on- no, observe people at his leisure. It's finally gotten to the point where people have started to stop him when they notice him on the street; 'Aren't you Minaho Kazuto? From Inazuma Japan?' Sometimes children just want him to wave at him, sometimes he'll get asked to pose for a photo, and sometimes he'll even be asked for autographs. Before now, Minaho has never found himself crowded by groups of excitable teenage girls (of course, he’s always told Manabe otherwise). It's flattering at first, but it quickly gets old. This must be how celebrities feel, he thinks. That makes him feel a little better, but only a little – a detective can't do his job properly with all this commotion, and his loss of freedom makes him restless.

“Maybe a disguise...” he mutters to himself, pulling the hood of his jacket over his head. Maybe if he had some sunglasses? They wouldn't look too out of place in this weather, either...

“Yo,” says someone, thumping Minaho on the shoulder and making him jump. “Nice hood.”

Minaho looks up with bemusement, pulling his hood back down. “Kusaka-kun. Morning...” He rubs his chin thoughtfully, instantly in observation mode. “You're up early today, and you're wearing casual clothes. Could it be...” he pauses for effect, “A date with someone...?”

“Nah,” Kusaka replies sheepishly, scratching his head. “I think she's hanging around with the girls today. I don't really wanna be too...y'know...I thought I'd leave her alone for a bit.”

“Oh, I see,” says Minaho, surprised in spite of himself. “Well, that was within my expectations. But isn't Morimura-san afraid of girls? Does she really want to spend time with those two?”

“Huh?” Kusaka gives him a curious look. “Well, yeah, but...I think she's getting used to Sorano and Nozaki.” He shrugs. “About her being afraid of girls...did someone tell you that?”

“Nope,” says Minaho, smirking. “Just my intuition. But by the sounds of things, I'm right.”

Kusaka grins. “You little smart-ass.”

“Just 'smart' is fine.” They both laugh a little. Then Minaho is struck by a thought. “Say, does that mean you're free today? If you don't have plans, we could do something together.”

Kusaka looks skeptical. “What do you do in your free time?”

“Oh, all sorts of things,” replies Minaho brightly. “I like to keep myself alert, so I make sure to partake in activities that stimulate the brain. I already have a place in mind, in fact.”

“Right.”

Minaho chuckles at Kusaka's confusion. “So, are you in?”

“And where are we going?”

“First of all, shall we head to Inazuma Town?”

***

“You really suck at this,” Kusaka sneers over Minaho's shoulder. “Let me try.” Minaho grits his teeth in frustration as the pixelated car on the screen spirals off the track for the umpteenth time.

“This is just a test run,” he insists. “Once I play it a second time, I'll have memorised how to get a perfect win.”

“Yeah, right! What, are you gonna analyse it with your detective skills?”

Kusaka had clearly been relieved to discover that by 'activities that stimulate the brain' Minaho had in fact meant playing games at the arcade. Minaho himself sometimes drops by here in his free time, but the experience is a mixed bag: while its a plus that people are so absorbed in the games that they won't bother him, it can also get boring when he's alone. Observing sleepy teenagers playing arcade games is not particularly stimulating.

He learns from Kusaka that he and his gang used to hang out here and other places like it in the past, but got repeatedly kicked out for loitering. Minaho thinks he's starting to realise why they ended up spending most of their time sitting in a construction site.

“Wonder if Manabe ever obsesses over videogames,” says Kusaka absent-mindedly, pushing Minaho aside and taking the controller. “You know, like, getting really into the data and stuff?”

“It’s certainly possible,” Minaho muses. “Though I wonder if he’d consider that kind of thing a good use of his time.”

“If its for fun, then maybe. Equations make him excited, right?”

“When you put it that way...” Minaho frowns. Kusaka is, in fact, not that bad at the kart-racing game. Of course, it’s not that he’s annoyed at that or anything. It’s a game, after all. He’s not bothered. Of course. “Well, speaking of good uses of your time, seems like you’ve had plenty of practice. I’m sure this skill will come in _so_ handy,” he sniffs.

“Whatever. Hey, wait, wait--” Kusaka watches as the car on the screen spirals into last place. “No fucking way. Did you see that? The thing hit me when I was just about to win. This thing is rigged.” INSERT COIN flashes up on the screen. He rounds on Minaho. “Got any money?”

“...Uhh...oh hey, Kusaka-kun,” says Minaho quickly, lowering his voice. “Is the guy behind the counter watching you?”

“Oh shit,” Kusaka spits. “That’s the guy that threw us out last time. What the hell is his problem? Let’s move over here...” The two of them hasten further into the arcade, where the machines hide them from view - not that it’s actually necessary, but at least the kart-racing game is far, far away. It’s then that Minaho notices what they’re stood in front of.

“Hey, Kusaka-kun, look at this.” Kusaka follows his gaze, then laughs awkwardly. There’s a crane machine filled with stuffed toys, just as you’d expect. They stare out of the glass with their beady little eyes.

“That rabbit looks like the one Morimura was holding the other day.”

Minaho smiles, nodding wisely. “If you win that toy for Morimura, her opinion of you will rise considerably. Don’t you think?”

“I’m not really good at these,” says Kusaka sheepishly. “I’ll try, though. Have you got any money or what?”

“Why me?” Minaho mutters, fishing around in his pocket for change. “Don’t you have an allowance? Where’s your money?”

“It went,” says Kusaka shortly, holding out his hand with expectation.

“Here,” says Minaho, begrudgingly dropping the coins into Kusaka’s hand. “Listen, I’ll stand at the side and tell you how much to move the crane.”

“Gonna learn how to hack the crane machine, too?” Kusaka snickers. As he puts the coins in, Minaho moves to the side of the machine, staring with utmost concentration.

“Are you going for the white rabbit?”

“Yeah.”

“Looks like its pretty stuck. There’s a lot of others pushed up close to it. What about this cat here? She likes cats-”

“It’s not the same,” says Kusaka bluntly. He looks into the corner of the machine, where the cat in question sits. Something about it must offend him, because he doesn’t look impressed. “I want the rabbit.”

“If you say so,” Minaho sighs, knowing there won’t be any changing his mind. “I suppose you’ll just have to try.”

Despite Minaho’s careful instructions the rabbit is, as he suspected, stuck fast, and doesn’t move an inch on the first try. The second try appears more hopeful - but although the crane seems to grasp the head, it slides off the fur.

“These things really suck,” Kusaka mutters.

“Wait, look!”

The tag of one of the nearby toys has become hooked on one of the claws of the crane. It’s pulled up for a split-second, but drops back down - knocking the nearby white rabbit onto its front. Minaho cheers. “Now you can grab it by the body!”

“Ooh, nice!” Kusaka grins. “Alright, tell me where to move.”

“Just...like before, keep moving it to the right...”

“Last time it was about here.” Kusaka furrows his brow in concentration.

“Now forwards, about the same as before again? That’s it...no...a little further...” Minaho presses his face to the screen as Kusaka tilts the joystick with as much precision as the game will allow. “That’s it. It’s perfect. There’s no way you won’t get it.”

Kusaka hits the button, and its a tense moment. The crane drops down, clasping the rabbit by the body. “Alright! It’s got it!”

But before Minaho can agree, the crane starts to ascend and rabbit flops pathetically out of its grip. It’s in no better a position than before. Kusaka is giving Minaho a hard stare. “This is bullshit.”

“Well, after all, they’re not designed for people to win,” Minaho sighs. He finds himself feeling unusually upset. Morimura would love that toy.

“...Got any more change?” Kusaka asks hopefully, but Minaho shakes his head, turning out his pockets. “Seriously? What happened to _your_ money?”

“It went.” Minaho takes one last look at the white rabbit, then turns away from the machine. “Since we’re broke, wanna go back?”

“Kinda sucks going back as a loser.” Shrugging, Kusaka follows him as they leave the arcade (Minaho could have sworn that the guy at the counter _was_ giving Kusaka a suspicious look on the way out) with a very subdued feeling between them. They take their time making their way back down the street leading to the train station, where they can board a train back to the Soccer Garden.

“You know,” Minaho pipes up, “There’ll be other chances, so don’t feel too down about it.”

“Who’s down about it?” Kusaka snorts.

“Nothing gets past me,” says Minaho smugly, but Kusaka flicks him in the back of the head. “Ack! But really,” he adds seriously, “I don’t think Morimura-san has revealed everything to us yet. This situation is still developing...”

“Whatever you say,” Kusaka mutters, but he seems vaguely heartened. Something seems to bother him though, because he adds; “Don’t come up with any weird plans or...schemes or whatever.” Minaho’s eyes widen at the suggestion.

“Me? A scheme? As if I would!” He grins, breaking into a run before Kusaka has time to argue. “See you at the station!”

“Jeez, you’re a pain in the ass, you know that?!” Kusaka calls, tearing after him.


End file.
